Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw

by Todd Calgi Gallicano

  “The gryphon’s claw is what has kept this curse in place over all these years. If something were to happen to it—if it were, let’s say, destroyed—the curse would be lifted. Humans would finally see the world as it really is.” Carl let the implications sit with Sam for a moment. “I believe the claw is in danger. Something or someone is looking to destroy it. And I also believe there is a reason Phylassos appeared to you, and you alone.”

  “Why? What possible reason could there be?” Sam wondered.

  “You can help us, Sam. Help us protect the claw and our world.”

  “But how exactly would I do that? I mean, I’m just a kid, you know? I haven’t even gotten some of the bigfoot smell powers like Vance has.”

  “It may not be apparent at the moment, but I trust it will become clear in time. Your meeting with Phylassos was no coincidence, I can assure you,” Carl said with authority. “I am curious, though—what brought you out to the desert?”

  “A dream,” Sam replied.

  “Was it a recurring dream?” asked the bigfoot with interest. Sam nodded. Carl’s face broadened into a grin. “Certainly not coincidence.”

  There was a loud, hurried knock on the front door.

  “Carl? Sam?” Vance’s voice called out.

  “We’re in the study,” Carl answered. A second later, Vance entered the room, a dire look in his eyes.

  “We’ve got ourselves a situation,” Vance said. “There was a break-in at the British Museum this morning.”

  “Let me guess—the gryphon’s claw cup was stolen,” Carl predicted with a half smile.

  “Well, ain’t you smarter than a tree full of owls. How’d you know so quick?” Vantana asked. Carl peered over at Sam and Vance followed his gaze. “Phylassos told you? And you couldn’t trust me with that information? What is it? Am I not hairy enough?”

  “He just asked if I knew about the claw,” Sam responded defensively.

  “If he brought it up, he must have known it was in danger,” explained Vance. “You and I gotta get out there and have a look-see.” He was eyeing Sam as he spoke.

  “What do you mean, you and I?” Sam countered.

  “I mean Sam London is going to London.”

  The photograph on the wall of US President Lyndon Baines Johnson led Sam to conclude that the vacant ranger cabin they were staying in hadn’t been used in quite some time. The stale odor, dust, and cobwebs confirmed it. Sam struggled to get comfortable in the creaky wooden bed that hadn’t been slept in since the 1960s. According to Dr. Vantana, he and Sam would be traveling to England the next morning and so they should, as Vance put it, “go to sleep with the chickens so we can wake up with the cows.” Sam had never ventured out of the country and informed Vance that he didn’t own a passport. Vance assured him he needn’t worry. When Sam reminded him of the strict security measures at airports, Vance just chuckled and said, “Why ever would we go by plane? We need to get there quickly.”

  The cabin was in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, which was a two-hour drive from Redwood National Park. Vance informed Sam they would have another two-hour drive in the morning and a short hike, then sent him to bed as soon as they arrived. But just because Sam was told to sleep didn’t mean he was able to sleep. He wondered how his mom was faring and whether Nuks’s ruse had proven successful. Was Nuks attending school in his place? Was he keeping up with Sam’s schoolwork? Was the raccoon-dog smarter than Sam? But most importantly, would the magical creature stay on Miss Capiz’s good side? He hoped for the best and finally caught a few hours of shut-eye.

  The doctor woke Sam just before dawn and he stumbled out to the car, trying his best to remain half-asleep. He succeeded and zonked out for the entire trip to Castle Crags State Park on the eastern side of Shasta-Trinity National Forest. When Sam emerged from his slumber, he found Vance parking the SUV in a clearing covered with loose gravel.

  “Rise and shine, kid. We gotta get a move on,” the doctor said.

  “A move on to England, right?” asked Sam. Vance nodded. “Unless there’s an airport around here, I’m guessing you weren’t kidding about not taking a plane.”

  “I wasn’t,” Vance replied matter-of-factly. “We have a bit of a hike ahead of us and you need to eat somethin’.” The doctor offered granola, a bottle of orange juice, and some beef jerky. As Sam ate, he glanced out the windshield at the view before them. The area was covered in a thicket of Douglas fir trees, and rising out of the tree line was a massive rock face. The granitic formation soared hundreds of feet into the air and resembled an ancient castle. The rocks that jutted out of the top looked like towering spires that had been carved by hand.

  “What’s that?” Sam asked.

  “Castle Crags,” Vance answered. “Looks like one of them British castles, doesn’t it?” Sam nodded.

  “Mother Nature can do some pretty cool things. I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, but I’ve seen photos and…” Vance was smiling.

  “What?” Sam asked.

  “Scientists would have you believe erosion did all that.” He gestured to the crags. Sam eyed him, waiting for the reveal. “It’s a fortress. Carved out of that rock over two thousand years ago.”

  “Of course. By who? Bigfoots?” Sam asked sarcastically.

  “By the dvergen, smart guy. For their king, a dwarf named Vestri.”

  “You’re telling me dwarves carved all that? As in Snow White and the Seven…” Sam gestured to indicate someone small in stature.

  “Actually, that’s a misnomer. Dwarves are the same height as humans. They’re tall and husky. Not like what you see in movies,” Vantana explained. “Word to the wise: I’d avoid any mention of the whole shortness issue if and when you meet a real dwarf. It’s a sore subject.”

  “Right,” Sam replied. He was still having trouble believing all this, but given recent events, he realized he should start taking Vance more seriously, no matter how crazy his claims sounded. The doctor reached back and retrieved a worn leather sheath from behind the passenger seat. Inside was an old hunting knife. He slid the sheath into his belt.

  “Why do you need that thing?” Sam asked nervously.

  “We might get hungry. Need to slice up some fruit or vegetables.” The doctor was a bad liar, Sam thought. “Let’s go. I want to get in before dark.”

  Sam grabbed his backpack and followed Vance up a dirt trail on the west side of the parking area. The trail climbed steadily and joined with a narrow pathway, which continued for nearly a mile. This trail was lined with rocks on one side and a winding creek on the other. They reached a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn in the path where the creek and rocks parted ways.

  “We hike off-trail the rest of the way,” Vance announced as he stepped off the path and followed the creek. The thundering sound of rushing water grew louder by the moment, and as they hiked over a hill, Sam learned why. The creek originated from a waterfall—a spectacular sight of water cascading down a jagged rock face at the base of Castle Crags. It soared forty feet in height and poured over the uneven outcroppings.

  “Burstarse Falls,” Vantana said. “As the story goes, the name is a bit of a warnin’. Those rocks are mighty slippery. You gotta be extra careful when you’re climbing them or you’ll fall on your, uh…backside.”

  “And it’ll burst?” Sam asked with a grin. Vance nodded with a smile.

  “Something like that.”

  Sam suddenly realized what this meant. “Hold on a sec. Why would I be climbing those rocks?”

  “ ’Cause you and I have to get behind the waterfall.”

  “Let me guess—there’s some super-secret doorway to England behind it,” remarked Sam mockingly.

  “Not exactly. It’s the entrance to the dvergen subway,” Vance informed him.

  “Dvergen. That means ‘dwarf,’ right?” Sam clarified.

  “You’re learning,” Vantana said. “Now follow close.”

  Vance stepped carefully along the boulders that lined the creek and led to the waterf
all. Sam was right behind him, taking it slow and steady. The doctor was correct about the rocks being slippery. The constant flow of water against the granite coupled with the moss that had grown onto the rocky surface rendered it especially slick. Sam nearly bit it while crossing to the final rock before the waterfall, but the doctor’s quick reflexes kicked in. He grabbed Sam’s wrist and held him up until he could regain his footing.

  “Thanks,” Sam said as he caught his breath.

  “Well, I can’t have you dyin’ on me now. We’re just gettin’ started.”

  As Sam approached the waterfall, he noticed there were a few feet of space between the water and the rock face. Vantana was poised to head inside, but then sniffed the air and glanced back toward the forest.

  “Looks like we got ourselves a going-away party.” Vance gestured behind him and Sam turned. There were creatures emerging from the woods—creatures Sam had seen only in the pages of books. His eyes went to a group of several animals that were the size of deer but resembled rabbits. Their heads were adorned with long beige antlers. Jackalopes, Sam concluded. Near the jackalopes were small humanoids floating a few inches off the ground. They were pale-skinned with wispy white hair and light blue eyes—so light they appeared translucent. Their clothing was made of foliage and their backs sported white gossamer wings that flapped so quickly Sam could barely tell they were moving. The creatures reminded him of hummingbirds. Fairies, he deduced. There were also creatures he didn’t recognize, including a fish with vaguely human features that stood at the edge of the creek, and a horse-sized animal with the head of a boar and a large horn that sprang from the front and back of its head.

  “What are they all doing here?” Sam wondered.

  “They came to see the boy who saw Phylassos,” replied the doctor as he continued toward the waterfall. Sam gave the “going-away party” a small wave, then caught up with Vance. The doctor put his hands on the slick rock face and muttered several words in a language Sam didn’t recognize but Vance said was Ancient Nordic. The moment Vantana finished the phrase, the rock shifted. A door-shaped cutout opened, swinging a few feet inside. Vantana entered and Sam followed. The rock door came to a creaky, lumbering close behind them, plunging them into darkness. Vance pulled out a small flashlight, which gave off more light than its size would suggest. Sam could see that they were in a tunnel carved out of the stone. It was smooth and rounded and led to a steep stone staircase, which they descended.

  When they finally reached the bottom, they stepped onto a platform that sat within a larger tunnel, like a big-city subway station. The walls displayed colorful carvings of ancient battles between warriors dressed in red and black armor. Instead of a subway train to the side of the platform, there was a massive black metal contraption in the shape of a bullet. It was open on both sides with several rows of tall metal grates, but no seats. The front of the “bullet” was covered with a thin transparent material that resembled crystal, and the rear sported rocketlike tubes that extended a few feet.

  “Climb on in,” Vance said with a flourish of his hand.

  Sam eyed Vance worriedly. “Is it safe?”

  “Safe enough.”

  Sam stepped inside the machine and began walking toward the other side.

  “Right there is good,” Vance remarked. “Press your back against that metal grate.”

  Sam followed Vance’s instructions while Vantana climbed in and positioned himself behind the control panel at the front of the machine. The controls consisted of dials and levers that appeared ancient in design and were covered in cobwebs and dust. Vance brushed them aside with his hand.

  “How old is this thing?” Sam asked with trepidation.

  “Pretty old. But dwarves are excellent builders.”

  The doctor pulled a metal lever attached to the floor. The entire contraption suddenly dropped several feet, slamming to the cave bottom. It also began to hum, as if power was instantly coursing through its metal skeleton. Thin metal wires snaked out from behind Sam and Vance. They wrapped themselves around the two passengers, securing them to the machine. The dwarf version of seat belts, Sam determined. Sam’s arms were at his side when the wires settled in, and as a result were now stuck in place.

  “My apologies, Sam. I should have told you to raise your arms,” the doctor said guiltily. “Then again, it’s probably better this way.” Vantana’s hands returned to the control board, where he adjusted a few dials. He then pulled back on a sliding panel, revealing a rudimentary map of the world etched onto a silver surface. Sam could see the familiar continents represented, but there were other landmasses as well, one of which was clearly marked “Atlantis.”

  Vance touched an area of California and the silver bubbled beneath his fingertips. A metallic black thread sprouted from the surface, and Vance took hold. He pulled the thread across the United States and over the Atlantic Ocean and hovered above England. As he lowered the end of the thread to the map, the silver bubbled up to grab the end and sucked it down, pulling it taut. Vance peered over at Sam, who squirmed in his bindings.

  “Ready?”

  “I don’t know,” Sam responded.

  “Just breathe like normal. And when you feel like you’re going to throw up, don’t pay it any mind. Your body will be traveling way too fast to regurgitate.”

  Sam was still considering these words when the doctor reached out and pulled a lever on the control board. The hum of the machine turned into a rumble, and the entire contraption began to vibrate furiously. It caused Sam’s teeth to chatter, so he clenched them together and felt the vibrations through his body.

  “Hang on!” Vance exclaimed as he yanked another lever on the panel. The rockets on the back of the machine exploded to life, and the machine shot forward like a bullet leaving a gun barrel. This was no roller coaster—it was pure terror. Sam had never felt anything like it. The skin on his face was being stretched by the force of the acceleration as the machine hurtled through the tunnel with a massive roar. It twisted and turned and twisted again. They spun upside down, then sideways, then dropped deeper into the earth, only to shoot back up a moment later.

  Sam squinted as he looked at the map on the control board. He could see that the thread was shortening. The end that had sprouted from California was being pulled across the continent. From the looks of it, Sam and Vance were moving through entire states in mere seconds and rapidly approaching the East Coast. Vance had his flashlight aimed ahead of them, but all Sam could see was the darkness just ahead of the light and the smooth tunnel walls. Then the machine took a sharp turn straight down, careening toward the center of the earth.

  “We have to get below the continental shelf,” Vance yelled over the earsplitting sound of the rockets. The machine was in a momentary free fall, until the tunnel shifted and they were suddenly level once again. The wire on the map showed them moving across the Atlantic Ocean and closing in on the United Kingdom. It was at this point that Sam’s breakfast attempted to make a second appearance. He swallowed, but the sensation persisted. It was climbing up his esophagus and into his throat, where it decided to linger. He wanted to throw up, needed to, but he couldn’t. Vance was right. The tremendous velocity at which they were traveling was too much for his body to counteract. Of course, he wasn’t looking forward to the machine stopping. He didn’t even want to entertain the thought of what would happen then.

  As they approached the coast of England, the machine began its ascent and was soon shooting straight up. To Sam’s amazement, the pressure on his body was pushing his breakfast back down where it belonged. When the machine finally leveled out, Sam felt perfectly fine. The nausea was gone. The machine continued on its path, and as they crossed beneath the English Channel, it passed through a strange shimmering cloud, like a glowing silver fog. It tingled against Sam’s skin, but it wasn’t wet.

  “What in the name of John Henry?” Vance muttered. The machine emerged from the haze and kept moving toward London.

  “What was that?” Sa
m asked.

  “Haven’t the slightest. But we’re almost there.” Vantana gestured toward the map, where the metal thread was almost gone. Only an inch left, and then it disappeared. Sucked back into the map.

  But the machine didn’t stop. Vantana reached out and pulled on a lever. No effect; they just kept moving. He frantically turned dials and pulled switches. Still nothing, and now they seemed to be picking up speed.

  “What’s happening?” Sam yelled as the contraption barreled through a winding set of tunnels, turning them upside down, then right-side up again. Finally the rockets sputtered and stopped firing. The machine slowed and came to an abrupt halt near a platform that appeared identical to the one at Castle Crags. The metal wires binding Sam and Vance retracted.

  “That cloud we passed through—it did something to this thing,” Sam concluded.

  Vance nodded. “Yeah, I suppose it did. Question is why.”

  “Where are we?”

  “From the looks of this tunnel, I’m guessin’ Smoo Cave in Durness, Scotland.” Vance helped Sam onto the platform. “We’ll have to figure out another way to get where we’re going.”

  The two started up a steep staircase until they reached a stone door. Vantana spoke a few more of those Ancient Nordic words and the door opened. They walked onto a ledge behind another waterfall. This waterfall was deep inside a grand limestone sea cave, with the water flowing through a large skylight-like opening in the ceiling to form a small lake. Vance and Sam stepped along the ledge until they could climb down to a wooden viewing bridge. They followed the bridge to the main cavern and headed toward the opening of the cave.

  Daylight was dwindling as they approached the exit. Sam peered out to find they were at the end of a long sea inlet, surrounded on both sides by limestone cliffs that rose a hundred feet into the air. Two wooden stairways on either side led up an emerald-green hill to the tops of the cliffs. The falling water was punishingly loud and nearly obscured another sound, which had subtly joined the cacophony. It was an intermittent clanging of metal against metal that followed the sounds of Sam’s and Vance’s footsteps. When Vantana reached the cave’s entrance, he paused and turned his head slightly to sniff the air. Sam sidled up to him.